


First Date

by BiffElderberry



Category: Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, mall date
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-05
Updated: 2018-10-05
Packaged: 2019-07-25 17:20:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16202114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BiffElderberry/pseuds/BiffElderberry





	First Date

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DianaSolaris](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DianaSolaris/gifts).



Martha sighed looking at herself in the mirror one last time. Everything was as good as it was going to get. Besides, it didn't matter, right? She and Bethany were just going to meet up at the mall. For the first date. With the girl of her dreams. She bit her lip, turning back to the mirror to fix her hair for the third time.

Finally, she gave up. It would all be okay, she told herself trying to ignore the queasy feeling in her stomach as she ran down the stairs.

"Bye mom, be back later," she yelled as she grabbed her keys and her purse. She took a few calming breaths as she got in the car. She could do this. First dates were always hard, right? It had been when she and Spencer had first gone out, right after they got back from Jumanji. It had quickly become evident though that they weren't good together while her relationship with Bethany ...

Suffice to say she was happy to finally go on this date. Once they had finally gotten over hating each other just because society told them to, as Bethany had put it, they found that they really did enjoy spending time together. They had become friends at first. Martha helped Bethany with her biology homework, and Bethany taught Martha feminist theory - and also how to properly apply lip gloss.  Martha had first realized her crush around 6 months ago, shortly after she and Spencer broke up.

It had taken 6 months of them hedging around each other before Bethany finally "threw the patriarchal bullshit out the window" and asked her out.

Martha pulled into the parking lot. It was the first nice Saturday of the year, every other weekend having been raining, or snowing, or both. The mall was packed.

“I’m late, I’m late, I’m late,” she muttered as she slammed on her break to avoid the car pulling out in front of her. She was never late. Martha had never even gotten a tardy going to school, so this, this was nerve-wracking.

She swerved down the aisle of cars finally finding a parking spot. It was halfway back and a ways from the entrance to the mall, but it would have to do. She had barely gotten the car parked before she was running for the door.

  
Martha hoped she had gotten the right side of the mall at least. It had been ages since she had been, probably since before going to Jumanji seven months ago. Bethany had suggested they meet in the food court. Now Martha just had to remember where that was.

~*~

Bethany sighed, twirling the straw in her smoothie as she checked her appearance for the 100th time in her selfie cam. She was nervous, actually nervous, for a date for the first time in, well, forever. She had no idea why - Martha had seen her at her worse already. Hell, Martha had seen her as a balding overweight middle age man while they were in Jumanji. So really she had nothing to worry about, but still.

She had arrived almost 2 hours early, something she hadn't done since her first date ever back in 6th grade. So she had had plenty of time to freak out, get a smoothie, freak out again, and finally, find a table in the food court to wait for Martha.  And wait, and wait.

She was sure Martha wouldn't stand her up right? But Martha was already 15 minutes late, and she was starting to worry. Maybe Martha hadn't been as into her as Bethany thought she was? Maybe she had read the situation wrong? Maybe Martha had freaked when she asked her out and now Martha was avoiding her?-

"Bethany, hi!" Martha ran up to the table, a little out of breath. Bethany couldn't help but smile at her rushed appearance. She looked just as nervous as Bethany felt.

"Hi," Bethany replied, "I'm glad you made it."

"Yea, sorry, traffic, and I almost got in a crash, and then I couldn’t remember where the food court was, and I parked on the wrong side of the mall and yea," Martha was still a little out of breath. Bethany thought it was rather adorable. "But I'm here now."  Bethany stood up and dropped her empty smoothie cup into the trash.

"Have you been waiting long?" Martha asked, a look of panic in her eyes.

"I got here two hours early," Bethany admitted as they started to walk through the crowds. Even though it was 4 o’clock there were still plenty of people lining up for the various stalls. They milled around, making it hard for Bethany and Martha to walk beside each other.

"Really?" Martha gasped, blushing.

"I didn't want to be late," Bethany giggled. "I guess I'm a little nervous."  They finally broke through the crowds and into one of the main walkways of the mall. There were fewer people here at least.

"You're nervous? But you've been on tons of dates-" Martha gasped cutting herself off. "Sorry."

"For what?" Bethany said, "I have been on a lot of dates. I guess I'm just nervous cause I really like the person I'm here with and I think she's kind of awesome." She swerved inward a little bit, trying to close the distance between them. She reached out, subtly trying to find Martha’s hand.

Martha giggled, nervousness edging her voice. She stepped farther away as they continued walking, keeping the space between them the same as before.

Bethany’s heart fell. Maybe she had been wrong and Martha didn’t like her like that. _Martha’s just nervous_ , she reminded herself. Maybe Martha just didn’t get that she was trying to hold her hand?

"Is that alright?" Bethany asked, looking over at her date. She knew Martha didn’t have a lot of experience on dates. Bethany just didn’t know how comfortable she was with flirting. She corrected her course. Maybe she could teach Martha about hand-holding later.

"Yea, I- I think you're pretty awesome too," Martha replied. "So what are we doing? Not that I mind just hanging out, I just-"

"yes, I have a plan," Bethany cut her off, "I wouldn't just drag you to the mall the shop with me."

"I mean I wouldn't mind shopping, as long as it's with you," Martha said, "But you're right it's not my favorite thing in the world."

"Which is why we're doing this," Bethany said, motioning to the temporary installation in the middle of the courtyard.

"No," Martha replied, shaking her head. “Let’s just go see a movie instead.” She looked up at the hastily constructed rock climbing wall. It went almost all the way up from the bottom of the floor to near the top of the second floor. The walls curved in and out, Martha assumed to make it more difficult to climb. She could see the walls wood beam supports and it just didn’t inspire her with confidence. The thin mats at the base, and pulley system to suspend climbers didn’t help her feel any safer about it either.

"Oh come on it'll be fun!" Bethany said. "And it'll be a lot safe than the last time we went rock climbing."

"We've never- you mean in Jumanji?" Martha hesitated. Bethany grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the setup. “We could go see a movie instead? There’s a new Night in Hell movie out?”

"Really a horror movie? I wouldn’t have thought you to be a fan. And yea I mean Jumanji, this time we get to have harnesses," Bethany chuckled, "And there isn't a cartoonish but yet very real villain chasing us, or animals trying to kill us. Besides if you make it to the top I'll give you a kiss-" Bethany froze. She hadn't meant to say that. It was just something she would have said to any of the normal guys she dated. The ones who she wouldn't have even had to have this conversation with. The ones she never gave two fucks about kissing.

"Fine," Martha replied, her face glowing red with embarrassment, "This will definitely be better than last time.”

Bethany led Martha over to the gate and paid for their tickets. They listened to the instructions and waited for their turn on the wall. In theory, it was safe. They had been fitted with harnesses that would be clipped to the pulley system. There was staff there that were supposedly rock climbing experts to help them and act as a belay partner. Which was good, though Martha would still have liked to see some sort of certification to prove that they weren’t just going to drop her.

But she would do anything that Bethany wanted to do. She felt safe with her. Even back in Jumanji.

Martha was the first one up to the wall. She glanced back at Bethany giving her a tentative smile before she hoisted herself up onto the first rock. Slowly she worked her way up the wall just thinking about where the next handhold was.  

~*~

“You’re up,” the instructor said, motioning Bethany to the spot on the wall next to where Martha had started. Bethany tore her gaze away from her date - Martha was already halfway up the wall.  She knew Martha would like this if she gave it a chance.

Bethany waited by the wall as her belay partner clipped her harness to the pulley.

“You’re good to go,” He told her stepping back into position. Bethany took a deep breath and grabbed the first rock.

"Hey," Someone said beside her. She let go of the rock and looked over to see a guy standing there, ready to climb up beside her. He was tall, a nice smile - the kind of guy Bethany would have gone for before. "I'm Dan," he said.

"Hi, Dan," Bethany replied, shaking his hand, "I'm Bethany."

"What's a cute girl like you doing, on the rock wall?" he asked, taking half a step closer to her.

"I like rock climbing?" Bethany replied, taking half a step away. He was still leaning awfully close though.

"You like sports?" he asked, "You're pretty hot for a sport chick."

"Bethany, what are you waiting for?" Martha called from halfway up the wall. Bethany looked up, just in time to see Martha notice the guy in her bubble. Her face fell.

"I'll be right up," Bethany yelled back. Martha just nodded, resolutely staring at the rock wall in front of her.

"Ahh, so that's why you're climbing the wall," Dan said, "You're friend wanted to. Look why don't you ditch her and come to have a coffee on me, hmm?"

"No, thanks," Bethany replied, dusting her hands with chalk.

"Then maybe I can get your number and we can get dinner some time?" Dan asked leaning against the wall, trying to block Bethany's assent.

"No," Bethany replied, stepping onto the wall, and climbing up just enough to get past him.

"How about this? If I make it to the top of the wall before you I get your number, and a kiss," he said, climbing up after here.

"I already have that deal with someone else," She smirked, starting to climb the wall for real.

"With who?" he asked incredulously, trying to keep up with her. But he was no match. After all, now she did have a villain chasing her, she was much more motivated.

"Hey," She said, reaching the top of the wall where Martha was already sitting.

"I beat you," Martha said, with a faint smile.

"Yea, but only because some guys can't take a hint," Bethany replied, pulling herself up to sit next to Martha.

"So you wouldn't really rather be here with him?" Martha asked, motion to Dan who was stuck halfway up the wall, paralyzed by his apparent fear of height.

"I asked you out, remember?" Bethany laughed, "He's really not my type though. He's just talk, no action. What we have, what we've been through is more real than anything in his life."

"That's sweet," Martha said, blushing. "Now I think you promised me a kiss if I made it to the top."

"I did, didn't I?" Bethany leaned in, her hair falling forward as she cupped Martha's cheek. Their lips met in a gentle kiss.  She smiled as she pulled away barely aware of Dan's indignant squawking from below.

"This has been fun, we should do it again," Martha giggled.

"What the climbing or the kissing?" Bethany asked.

"Both," Martha replied. She motioned to her belayer below, before pushing off the rock wall. Bethany smiled. Definitely, the best date she had been on in a long time.


End file.
